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John and Eva Nuffer are pleased to announce the marriage of their daughter Regina Friederike to John George, son of John and Anna Wanner. John and Regina were married 31 August 1898 in the Logan LDS Temple, Logan, Cache, Utah.

John & Regina Wanner

Regina Friederike Nuffer was the first child of four born to the marriage of John Christoph Nuffer and Eva Katharina Greiner on 26 January 1869 in Neuffen, Esslingen, Wurttemberg. John was a widower when he married Eva endowing Regina with two older half brothers and sister, John (1862), Georg Friedrich (1864, Fred), and Christiane (1865, who lived less than a year). John and Eva were married 25 July 1867 in Neuffen. Regina had three younger siblings, Charles August (1871), Adolph (1875), and Mary (1881). Regina was christened 7 February 1869 in Evangelische Kirche, Neuffen.

Evangelische Kirche, Neuffen and Paul Ross. The Nuffer family attended this church and Regina was christened here.

When Regina was about 9 years old, she heard the Mormon Elders preach in town. One of those Elders was John Jacob Theurer (1837 – 1914) of Providence, Cache, Utah. She was converted to the LDS church and was baptized 1 January 1880. Her parents were baptized 12 April 1880 in the mill race behind their home in the very early morning to avoid others in the community knowing. Other siblings followed later.

Overlooking Neuffen, 2008

The family applied to immigrate to North America in April 1880. They left for Stuttgart, then to Mannheim on a boat to Holland, over the North Sea to Hull, England where they left on the Wisconsin for New York. From Castle Garden they went by train to Utah, finally arriving in Logan. The family moved to Providence, Cache, Utah where Elder Theurer had connections. Mary, Regina’s sister, was born in Providence in 1881. John Jr worked in Montana, Salt Lake, and on the Logan Temple. After the Logan Temple stonework was completed, the Nuffers sold their home in Providence and moved in 1883 to Preston, Franklin (then Oneida), Idaho. Eventually they moved around until John and Eva purchased property up Cub River near Mapleton (then St. Joseph), Franklin (then Oneida), Idaho.

Regina Nuffer

I don’t know the details of how or when, but Regina met Jacob Scheibel and married him 15 July 1889 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah. Alma Katherine (“Kate”) Scheibel was born 27 September 1889 in Pleasant Valley, Carbon, Utah to Jacob and Regina. In 1890, Jacob and Regina separated and she moved back to Mapleton. She helped as a nurse and midwife while her mom helped tend little Kate. It was during this time she met a young man named John George Wanner Jr who was working for her brother Fred Nuffer, also in Mapleton.

Regina Nuffer and Alma Katherine Scheibel

John George (anglicized from Johann Georg but called George by the family) was the first child born to the marriage of John George (also anglicized from Johann Georg) and Anna Maria Schmid on 29 October 1870 in Holzgerlingen, Böblingen, Württemberg. To keep them separate, younger John George went by George. He was christened 30 October 1870 in Holzgerlingen. He grew up in Holzgerlingen and during the summer of 1890 met the LDS missionaries. He was the first of the family to join the new church on 11 July 1891 and was baptized by Jacob Zollinger (1845 – 1942) of Providence, Utah.

St. Mauritius Church in Holzgerlingen, the church where the Wanner’s attended and where John was christened.

George apparently emigrated to America with an Elder Theurer in 1891. We don’t know who Elder Theurer is, but he was also from Providence although likely a relative of John Theurer who converted the Nuffer family. The LDS missionary records do not show an Elder Theurer out in 1890 – 1892. I wonder if this wasn’t meant to be Elder Zollinger in the family histories. But this Elder helped John find employment with Fred Nuffer. The rest of the Wanner family followed to Mapleton in 1893. Mary, George’s daughter, indicates it was an Elder Terrell who brought John to America (Theurer sounds like Tire, and Terrell isn’t that far off, so maybe a misspelling?)

George met Eliza Stirland of Providence and married her 14 November 1894 in the Logan LDS Temple. Two children were born, Earl Wayne Wanner born 31 October 1895 in Providence and George Phineas Wanner on 22 September 1897 in Glendale. The unhappy marriage ended in divorce. Nobody seems to know what happened to these two sons either.

Regina received her Patriarchal Blessing 13 September 1897 from John Smith.

George and Regina fell in love and married in the Logan Temple 13 August 1898.

William Christoph and Willard John were born 9 November 1899 in Mapleton.

Mary Louise was born 5 March 1901 in Mapleton.

George was called and set apart as a missionary to Germany on 1 October 1901 .

Acceptance Letter from John to Lorenzo Snow, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Golden was born 4 September 1902 in Mapleton while John was on his mission to Germany.

George safely arrived home 7 October 1903.

Eva Virtue was born 24 February 1904 in Mapleton.

Rulon was born 6 November 1905 in Mapleton.

About this time, George Wanner had John Nuffer build him a home on East Oneida Street in Preston.

George was then called to serve a second mission in the fall of 1907, again leaving pregnant Regina and six children. He was set apart by Orson F. Whitney on 29 October 1907 to serve in the Swiss and German mission. Interestingly, the missionary record says he was plurally married, but no records or history show another marriage. I suspect it is a mistake.

Serge Nuffer was born 8 March 1908 in Preston. Again, another child born while John was on a mission.

Regina with William and Willard in the back and then Golden, Mary in the middle, holding Serge, then Rulon, then Eva. This picture was taken and sent to George on his mission.

George left Europe sailing on the Southwark from Liverpool, England on 9 December 1909.

1909 Southwark Manifest

George returned home on Christmas day 1909. It was during this mission that George taught the Christiana Wilhelmina Andra family. The Andras immigrated to Preston. William Andra, Christiana’s daughter, would later marry George’s daughter, Mary.

In 1910, George and Regina purchased the Wanner farm (John’s parents) in Whitney (which the Wanners had purchased from the Nuffer family). His parents moved to Logan.

Golden died 26 November 1918 in Salt Lake City at age 16. His death certificate says he was a student, Regina is the informant, but I don’t know where he was going to school. I was told he died from influenza, but the death certificate just says natural death.

William died 1 December 1918 at Camp Genicart, Gironde, France from influenza. He enlisted with the army 5 August 1917. I don’t have anything to back it up, but I suspect the photo above is in preparation for his enlistment. He left Salt Lake City for Camp Kearney on October 11, 1917. He served in the Supply Company, 145th Field Artillery, American Expeditionary Forces. The war did not kill him, disease did (as was common then with influenza). His body was brought home 11 November 1920, and interred in the Whitney Idaho Cemetery.

Mary married William Andra 10 March 1920 in the Salt Lake City LDS Temple.

Willard was set apart as a missionary 7 January 1921 to New Zealand by Melvin J Ballard and left for the mission 8 January 1921. He successfully completed his mission and ended his service 18 October 1922.

Willard John Wanner

Mary Andra, Regina Wanner, holding William Andra Jr in 1921

Willard married Gladys Laverna Thompson 15 November 1923 in the Logan LDS Temple.

Rulon was a student in Logan when he caught a cold. It developed into acute meningitus caused by acute otitis media. He died 25 February 1924 at the age of 18. George is the informant.

George was called to serve a third mission to the Southern States Mission. He was set apart 15 December 1925 by Joseph Fielding Smith and departed 16 December 1925. He returned home 8 June 1926.

On 4 July 1926, George received his Patriarchal Blessing under the hand of William M Daines.

Serge was set apart as a missionary 24 April 1928 to New Zealand by Orson F Whitney and left for the mission on 28 April 1928. He arrived in New Zealand 20 May 1928. He served in the Bay, of Island, Whangerei, and Wellington districts, and on the South Island. He cut himself while shaving and died from blood poisoning 4 October 1929. His body was brought home for burial in Whitney with the funeral held in the Preston opera house. Four sons were now deceased.

Eva was set apart as a missionary 16 April 1930 to California by George F Richards and left for the mission 17 April 1930. She completed her service 6 June 1932.

George was called to serve a fourth mission to California. He was set apart by Reed Schmid on 1 December 1933 and left for the mission the same day. He arrived back home 6 April 1934.

Eva married Adolf Ernest Spatig 29 January 1936 in the Logan LDS Temple.

Regina, Kate Naef, Carmen Cole, and Ladean Cole

George was known for his ability to work hard. He worked hard, raised his crops, and took exceptional care of his farm animals. He took great price in having things looking neat and clean around the farm and yard.

George usually was out working when the sun came up. The story is told that he was usually the first to get to the beet dump in the morning. Apparently one morning some of the neighbors decided to beat him to the dump. They got up early to get a head start. Before they got to the dump, the could hear George Wanner already going down the road ahead of them. It was still dark but they could tell it was him by the way he was talking to his horses, “Gid up – gid up – gid up.”

George and Regina sold the Whitney farm and purchased 40 acres nearer to Preston and built a home on it. Oakwood Elementary and Preston Junior High sit on what was part of this farm. When he retired, it was this farm he sold to William and Mary Andra.

George had a knack for being successful in the various undertakings he engaged in. He was one of the first in Preston to have an automobile. When he brought it home he hadn’t quite got the knack of stopping it. He yelled “whoa” when he got in the garage, but before he got it stopped he had gone through the end of the garage.

Grandma Wanner

Regina Wanner

George built two little homes on the west side of 2nd east and 1st south in Preston. He also built three homes on 1st south and the south side of the street in Preston. George and Regina lived in one of those homes until she died. Regina passed away 10 March 1942 in Preston. She was buried in Whitney.

She was ill for quite a while before she passed away. George would care for her the best he could and regularly took her for rides in the car. She was unable to walk and George would carry her on his back from place to place as they went visiting.

George remarried a few months later Grace Irene Frasure (1893 – 1980) on 3 Jun 1942 in the Salt Lake City LDS Temple. Their marriage dissolved in divorce.

John George Wanner Jr

George was having a number of health issues and had heard that Florida would help him. He moved to Florida. It was there he met Annie Jane Metts (1873 – 1961). They were married 4 May 1945 in Fort Myers, Lee, Florida. This marriage also dissolved in divorce.

George and Annie Metts Wanner in Florida

George remained in Florida until he became ill enough that he knew the end was coming. His daughter, Mary, sent her son, William Andra, out to Florida to bring George back by train. When William and George arrived in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, he was quite ill and taken to the hospital. It was there that George passed away 5 January 1947. William brought George’s body back to Preston. George was buried beside Regina in Whitney.

I have always felt a bit of an affinity for Jacob. Of all the books in the Book of Mormon, this one seems to feel the most familiar, the one that speaks most directly to me. If there is ever a book I just want to go back and read again and again, it is his. I thought I would share some personal stories that relate to some of the chapters I read this evening.

“But behold, I, Jacob, would speak unto you that are pure in heart. Look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding faith, and he will console you in your afflictions, and he will plead your cause, and send down justice upon those who seek your destruction. O all ye that are pure in heart, lift up your heads and receive the pleasing word of God, and feast upon his life; for ye may, if your minds are firm, forever.” (Jacob 3:1-2).

These two verses have always stood out to me. I am not entirely sure why. They just always have. Indeed, enough that I have attempted several times over the years to commit them to memory. Oddly, I have not been able to retain them.

During the summer of 2004 it was my goal to memorize a new scripture every day. I failed miserably but I made a valiant attempt. There are probably 20-30 verses that by the end of the summer I had committed to memory. These two were two of them. The next summer when I started spraying lawns again, I started by trying to recite all the scriptures I learned the previous summer. Only 3 verses from the previous summer did I really retain. I will perhaps get to them in another blog. They are only in the next chapter.

However, again in 2005 I set out to memorize the scriptures from the previous summer and to add some more. I remember distinctly walking through the yard of the Oliverson Family in Whitney/Glendale area outside of Preston, Idaho. They have a massive lawn which must be over an acre. As I walked back and forth across the lawn, I recited these two verses over and over again. I carried a note card in my pocket with them written on it which I had to reference often to begin. By the end of the lawn I had it set to memory.

I have to paint some of the picture. It is nearing dusk and I was worried I may not finish the lawn in time. I did finish in time and went on to spray the Hardcastle residence as well. The sun was setting slowly, and you cannot necessarily speed up spraying a lawn. To do so would be to apply less chemical and cheat the lawn owner.

I worked my way back and forth across the lawn like a dutiful farmer. I was pretty sure nobody was home. With the pump running on the truck, I could recite the scriptures out loud with little fear of anyone hearing me. I must have painted quite the picture in the sunset.

There are other stories similar to this one. For some reason I cannot still recite the words to the verses, but I can tell you probably three locations on where I know I worked on memorizing the verses. Odd isn’t it?

What do the verses say. They seem to explain the individual basis of the gospel for every person. Pray, with faith, and all will turn out for the right. But that just isn’t enough. We must not just pray with faith and hope it will turn out right. Nope, we are to pray and to receive the word of God. It seems to me that when we receive of the word of God and then feast upon that word, which is also the love of God (as Lehi and Nephi’s dreams tell us). This is expressly available to all who are pure in heart. I find myself in a longing for this. Mormon or not, these words are true. Look to God, pray, and receive of his love. We may, if we will be firm in our minds and devotion, forever. How beautiful is that?

All the rest come after that. If we try to do it a different way, it will be incorrect. You can be baptized a hundred times and without learning to commune with heaven, it won’t do much good. After all, if we haven’t learned to commune with heaven, what good is the Gift of the Holy Ghost? What good is the endowment if we don’t learn how to communicate with the angels now?

There was no miracle at the Oliverson Home, except perhaps in my heart. Those verses have yet to be fully committed to memory, but somehow their intent and meaning burn in my heart. That is more important anyway.